It's Just A Cup of Tea
by Romance Without Words
Summary: Rukia prefers tea to alcohol, so when she meets a super sexy bartender who enjoys his fair share of tea, Kurosaki Ichigo, its… something like love. IchiRuki; Alternate Universe. First chaptered story so R&R! Rating will not change.
1. Chapter 1: Getting Ready

**A/N: First IchiRuki. First Bleach. Yay? LOL.**

**Enjoy…**

**Disclaimer: Get real. If Bleach was mine, it would be Kurosaki Rukia already. Screw Byakuya.**

"Ne, Rukia! Let's go drinking tonight!" cried a very enthusiastic Rangiku.

"Ran-chan… You go drinking _every_ night! Go with Orihime and Momo. I'm tired. We all have work tomorrow, remember?" Rukia was very pissed off with the procrastinating Rangiku. All she wanted to do was to curl up with her laptop in front of the heater with a cup of tea. She didn't need alcohol in her life.

"Oh, Rukia! One night out won't kill you. Will you die from putting on a nice dress, sexy heels and make-up? No! Will you die from entering the club and dancing up a storm? No! Will you die from chatting up with some guys? Besides, last time we went, you were eyeing the bartender! I think it was Ku…"

"SHUT UP!"

"…rosaki-kun. Wasn't it?"

Kuchiki Rukia got up wearily. There were times when her girlfriends don't know when to stop drinking! She glared at her friend. "If I agree to go, you will shut up about this Kurosaki-kun nonsense and not go drinking for at least a month. I don't need wake-up calls at three a.m. listening to you and your bed partner getting at it. Understand?"

Rangiku, who was prancing around the living room, examining this and that, suddenly stopped. "Eh? You want me to stop drinking? Why?" Her lips pulled up in an attractive pout that has pulled in plenty of guys at the bar before.

"Just so you have no reason to drag me to a club for at least another month." Rukia rolled her eyes. Being the wonderful friend she was, after a few persuasive arguments from Rangiku's side, she would allow herself to be dragged all the way to their, or Rangiku's, favourite club – _"Exotic"_.

"So, it's a yes?" asked a hopeful Rangiku. She could already smell a matchmaking opportunity.

"Unfortunately for me, yes." Sighed Rukia. After all, this wasn't the first time Rangiku dragged her into situations like this. "If you want me to be ready in about twenty minutes, you better help."

Rangiku squealed. "Arigatou, Rukia! Now, go do your make-up! I'll get your dress. We have to have you looking super fabulous for K…" She was cut off by a warning growl from Rukia. "… super fabulous for the lucky bastards we're ending up with tonight!"

Rukia rolled her eyes and hurried into her bathroom. It was so typical of Rangiku to end up with a guy tonight. It's the same every night they go clubbing. Rangiku gets drunk and goes upstairs with a guy. Rukia hangs out with Momo and Orihime and dance with some guys, downs a martini and then try and lure Rangiku out with more sake and then drag her home. The clubbing routine never changes.

"I'm done!" Rukia hollered. She trusted Rangiku's sense to find her a decent cocktail dress.

"So am I! Come here. I need to tell you how to wear this thing!" came Rangiku's voice from the bedroom.

As Rukia approached her room, she felt her stomach turn. If Rangiku had to tell her how to _wear_ this thing, what is this fearful thing? She walked in to find… A simple black dress. "Why do you need to tell me how to wear this thing?" asked a confused Rukia.

"Silly girl! Every dress needs to somehow compliment your body but you need to wear it in a way that will compliment your body. But _I_ need to go and get dressed as well. Put it on and I'll be back in ten minutes to fix it up and we'll go pick up Momo and Orihime. 'Kay?" Rangiku was already halfway out the door.

"Hurry up!" called Rukia.

Rukia carefully slid the dress on. It was a very simple black dress with a zipper on the left side of the torso. Despite it being very simple, it fit very snugly and outlined her hourglass figure. She carefully pulled the zipper up halfway seeing there was no point in fixing up the dress anymore. Rangiku would change it anyway.

She headed towards a box her brother gave her three years ago. _Nii-sama_… Three years. She hadn't seen him in three years. She opened it and dug through it until she found a simple necklace. A jewel-encrusted circle pendant. She put it on and adjusted it until the nestled in the hollow of her throat. Rangiku already had her shoes and clutch ready. She picked them up and headed towards her living room.

When she just plopped down onto her armchair and picked up her book, a doorbell sounded. _Rangiku_… she inwardly groaned. "Come in, Ran. It's not locked." She got up and pulled her stilettos on.

"Well… I don't have to fix anything! Just pull that zipper down a bit lower! Give the boys some eye candy of the gorgeous Rukes!" Rangiku smirked.

Rukia blushed beet red. "NO, Rangiku. Now, let's go. Momo and Orihime are waiting."

Rangiku grinned. "Let's go and knock those boys dead!"

**A/N: So… What do you think? Remember to press that gorgeous button that says 'Review'. Praise is accepted modestly, constructive criticism is appreciated and flames can go and die in a hole.**

**Basically, this would be the IchiRuki version of how my cousin and her husband met, minus a drinking friend. I just **_**had**_** to throw Rangiku in there seeing that they were going to a club. I had fun on this one. Hope you enjoy it like I did!**

**Romance Without Words.**

**P.S. (Matsumoto) Rangiku, (Kuchiki) Rukia, (Hinamori) Momo and (Inoue) Orihime are clubbing budies. Whenever Rangiku convinces one of them, the other two are dragged along. It's what friends are for! **


	2. Chapter 2: Exotic Clubbing

**A/N: Ta-Da! Here is the second chapter! This took me a while… I couldn't decide whether to pair Rangiku with Gin or Hisagi, but I never really liked Gin so… To make up for it, though, I **_**might**_** do a little RanGin drabble. If I get enough reviews, that is. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Y'know, Kubo-sensei is remarkably good when it comes to evading me. I've been trying to track him down to pass the Bleach rights over to me. Instead, I keep on getting put through to the Japanese police.**

Getting into _Exotic_ was too easy for them. All they had to do was to get Rangiku to flirt with the bouncers a little bit and exchange some fake numbers and, voila! They were inside the pumping club.

_Exotic_ was a nightclub for the elite bodies. Rangiku's and Orihime's curvaceous bodies and the names of rich Kuchiki and Hinamori families was enough to cover for Rukia and Momo. According to Rangiku, _Exotic_ had the best strippers, hottest bartenders and enough sexy men to gratify her. "Is this awesome or what?" screeched Rangiku, already half-drunk from the energy pulsing around the club.

Rukia smiled condescendingly. Her friends were so… so _childish_! Rangiku was already flirting with a man. No surprises there. However, Rukia did raise her eyebrows at Rangiku's choice. The man had three long scars running down the right side of his face, a grey stripe across his face and the numbers '69' tattooed on the left side of his face. Wow.

It seemed that Momo and Orihime noticed as well. They all shared a look of confusion before they started giggling. The feeling was infectious.

"Wh… What sort of man has 69 tattooed on… on his _face_?" Orihime was already red from laughing so much.

"Well, we all know he will get along with Rangiku well enough, girls." Momo was crying with laughter. She wiped away the remaining droplets of tears from her eyes and tried to calm herself down. Suddenly, she went into a kind of trance. Rukia looked around to see what distracted Momo.

"Momo! Earth to Momo! Ah, jeez." Rukia groaned. Momo was in boy wonderland now. The girl never seemed to learn that love at first sight doesn't exist.

Rukia gently slapped Momo. "Ne! Time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty!" That seemed to have done the trick. Momo's eyes suddenly seemed to have focused and the dreamy haze dissipated.

"Girls. I think I have found men for all of us. See that guy over there, near the bar on the other side?" Momo smirked. Rukia audibly gulped. Momo could be worse than Rangiku when it came to matchmaking.

Turning her head, Rukia saw whom Momo was referencing too. A white haired young man with large turquoise eyes was talking to another man wearing a white suit and glasses and…

"Rukia-chan! Isn't that Kurosaki-kun? The one you were flirting with last time we came here?" That's right. Orihime and Momo were also here last time. Rukia groaned. She couldn't restrain them from using his name. It's not like he meant anything to her. He was just a bartender. She was just another girl who flirts for drinks.

Before she could do anything, however, Momo and Orihime pulled Rukia over the bar. They pushed her onto a chair and took the chairs on opposite sides of her.

"Two shots of tequila, please, Kurosaki-kun" Momo said, with a conspiratorial wink towards Rukia.

"Certainly, ma'am. Pardon me, but do I know you?" Kurosaki-kun asked as he passed the two shots of tequila. He seemed very confused.

"Oh, no! No, no, no," Momo's tinkling laugh attracted the attention of the white-haired young man. "But you have met my friend before. Kuchiki Rukia?"

Rukia was rather tempted to give Momo a slap. Orihime giggled and Momo just grinned and winked subtly again at her.

A flash of recognition passed through his eyes at her name. The girls giggled with excitement. He remembered her! They only talked for an hour or so and that was three weeks ago. "Ah. I see. Yes, I remember her. Is she with you tod…" He broke off as his eyes landed on Rukia. A very faint blush settled on her cheeks.

Rukia cleared her throat. "Ah… Hello. Nice to see you again, Kurosaki-kun" She said awkwardly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the white haired boy introducing himself and his friend to Momo and Orihime. They were getting along fine, it seemed.

"It's Ichigo. Please don't be too formal with me, Kuchiki-sama." He replied with a gentle smile.

"N… Nani? Please don't call me Kuchiki-sama. Its just Rukia." It was strange, seeing as they hadn't talked for three weeks, but she felt right at ease with him. "I'm surprised you still remember me. It has been three weeks."

"Who could forget such a pretty smile like yours, Rukia?" Ichigo also seemed very comfortable around her. It seemed so easy to talk to him. She laughed and turned around a bit, only to see Momo and Orihime already flirting with the other two men.

Ichigo noticed what she was looking at. "You're not like your friends." He observed. "They seem to be bubbling with energy and they all look hyperactive. You look so cool and collected."

"Normally, people would call me weird because of that. They find it shocking that I would rather curl up with a blanket, a book and a cup of tea rather than come clubbing." She smiled. She felt as if Kuro… no. She felt as if Ichigo would understand her. "You must find me very weird in that aspect as well, ne?"

Ichigo laughed again. He seemed to do that a lot. "No. I must say I prefer your way of spending your spare time. It seems so peaceful."

"It is. Especially compared to the club. But, if you like peacefulness… Why work in a nightclub?"

He made a face. "Friends." He didn't need to elaborate for she already understood. It was like a mutual understanding. "Can I treat you to a drink?"

"No. I don't really like alcohol. I had too much once and the hangover was horrible." Rukia grimaced at the memory.

Ichigo only grinned. With a quick "Be right back" to Rukia, he disappeared into the storage room behind him.

Rukia was disappointed to see him leave so soon. Apparently, so was Momo. Rukia saw her give a flirtatious wink to the white haired boy and headed over to her. "Where's Kurosaki-kun?" demanded Momo. "I don't know. Ichigo just asked if he could treat me to a drink and I said I didn't like alcohol so he grinned and went to the storage room an…"

"Ichigo? So that's his name. Already on first name basis with Berry-chan, eh?" teased Momo.

Rukia blushed deeply. "NO! I mean yes. But we're just friends. We're not flirting or anything, honest! I…" she broke off, knowing nothing will stop Momo from staring at her like that. "I… What about you and that white-haired dude? How are you guys going?"

"Oh, Tosh… I mean, Hitsugaya-kun?" A heavy streak of red was already starting spread like a wildfire on Momo's face. "We were just flirting, that's all. He's very nice. Ishida-kun seemed very into Orihime as well. Apparently, Hitsugaya-kun and Ishida-kun are friends of Kurosaki-ku…"

"Pardon me, Hinamori-san. May I?" a voice broke into Momo's gossiping. It was Ichigo.

"Certainly! I'll leave you too alone… Toshiroooo!" she called.

"Well! Seeing as you don't like alcohol, I thought you might want this." He said, producing a cup of Jasmine tea.

Rukia stared in shock. Where the feathers did he get that from in a _nightclub_? "Arigatou, Ichigo. Bu… But… Does the bar serve tea?" she finished off somewhat lamely.

Ichigo smirked. "I told you I preferred your way of relaxing rather than this nightclub. I always keep teabags so that I could have a cuppa' when the bar is having one of those 'quiet' moments."

"Quiet?" Rukia asked skeptically, looking around.

"Well, I mean… Ack. I mean, like, there's a good song and people are all on the dance floor. You know… _that_ sort of quiet. No business at the bar." Ichigo shrugged his shoulders.

Rukia took a sip of her tea and she sighed. There was nothing like tea that could calm down her pounding heart. Wait. What? Why was her heart pounding?

Ichigo cleared his throat. He looked nervous about something. "I don't know if this is too forward of me, but may I have the honour of having your number?"

Rukia giggled. He did have a lot of gentlemanly ways. "Why, certainly, Berry-chan!" she teased, using Momo's nickname for him earlier. He grinned sheepishly as he passed her a piece of paper and a pen. As she was writing down her number on the paper, she noticed in the corner of her eye Hitsugaya-kun and Ishida-kun grinning at them and giving Ichigo thumbs up. The girls seemed all giggly too. Rukia grinned. Her… _Their_ friends were all so immature.

"Here you go, Berry-chan!" she said, using a cute and innocent tone. Ichigo groaned. "Don't call me… that…" Rukia smirked. He was rather fun to tease.

She sighed. "Ne, ne. When does your shift finish?"

"Huh? Unfortunately, not for another hour or so."

Rukia beamed up at him. "If I'm still here after an hour, you'll take me dancing, ok?"

Ichigo smiled back. "It's a promise, Rukes."

'Rukes' started heavily blushing at that. He already gave her a nickname? That was… adorable and embarrassing at the same time. Rukia was just about to retort with a different nickname at that but Orihime interrupted them.

"Umm… Rukia-chan? We should go. Rangiku-san is…" Rukia inwardly groaned. Rangiku-san was grinding with the same 69 guy and soon, he'll take her upstairs or more accurately, she'll take _him_ to bed.

Behind the bar, however, Ichigo was laughing his ass of at the 69 tattoo. He obviously knew who they were referring to as Rangiku, her being the most noticeable female disgracing herself on the dancefloor. When Rukia noticed him laughing, she couldn't help but giggle a little bit herself. However, she was a bit sad to know that she would have to go know. Apparently, Ichigo wasn't aware of that, or he simply didn't care. She quickly drank the rest of her tea and hopped off her stool.

"I gotta go, Ichigo. Rangiku… Well, we need to take her home. Take me dancing some other time, okay?" she turned her face towards Ichigo.

"Oh." Ichigo looked a bit disappointed. "Yeah, sure." He leaned across the bar to give Rukia a kiss on the cheek. "I'll call you." He smiled at the shocked face of Rukia.

"Y… Y… Yeah… You d… do that." Rukia was beyond shocked. Ichigo just kissed her and she wasn't even sure of her feelings towards him yet. Currently, it was just a bundle of emotions but she had to say, those emotions were bordering on love. "Ja ne"

Rukia quickly walked towards Momo and pulled her away from Hitsugaya-kun, pointing at Rangiku. She stepped aside and watched their very flirtatious farewell.

"Don't forget to call me, Shiro-chan!"

"I won't if you call me that, bed wetter Momo!"

"My, my! That nickname would make sense if I had ever wet my bed, shiro-chan!"

"Meh. Bed wetter Momo!"

"Shiro-chan! Don't be mean! Just call me, 'kay? Bye!"

Rukia rolled her eyes. Momo and her flirtatious ways. "You get along with 'Shiro-chan' well, eh?" she asked.

"Ruukiaaaa! Only I can call him Shiro-chan! Anyways, what about you and Kurosaki-kun?" asked Momo as they walked towards Rangiku.

Orihime, who has been holding in the news up until now, burst with excitement. "Kurosaki-kun kissed her on the cheek! It was so adorably sweet!"

"NANI? He did? Good going, Rukia!" Momo cheered.

Before Rukia had the time to gather her wits and reply, they arrived where Rangiku was dancing with the 69 guy. "Ready to be my baby daddy, Hisagi?" Uh-oh. Seemed like they arrived just in time. Whilst Momo excused Rangiku, Rukia and Orihime grabbed Rangiku and dragged her out the door. Rukia just couldn't wait to come back next week.

**A/N: Yeah… The ending was a bit hasty, but meh! How do you guys like it so far? I know this story isn't exactly a POV story but the next chappie, no pun on Rukia intended, will revolve around Ichigo's life. It will have some flashbacks, as to shed some light on how Ichigo feels about Rukia and everything. I know some people are OOC but just bear with me. As always, let it out by reviewing! Remember: Praise will be accepted modestly; Constructive criticism is very much appreciated; Flames can go die in a hole which I am happy to dig. **

**I also want to thank the following reviewers who made my day by just clicking the review button and typing some mere words: **_Yubisakireno, Hese Solstis, KuroKuchiki, Rukes, allan caldeini and Masaki4everDead__._**Also, Hese Solstis, would this be long enough? I'm still getting around it. Until the next chappie!**

**Romance Without Words**


	3. Chapter 3: Hasty Indecision

**A/N: Yes, I'm back. My excuse? School. D'uh! What's disappointing is that FF is blocked at school and somehow, I could access it today! YAY! Anyways, it sort of motivated me to finish this chapter, which I started about a week ago. So voila! Here it is.**

**Disclaimer: Look. Here I am, on FANFICTION and you want me to tell you that I own Bleach? PFFFT.**

_Ichigo's POV (not really. Basically, this chapter is more… revolving around him)_

He remembered her gentle and charismatic smile.

He remembered her tinkling laughter that sent shivers down her spine.

He remembered how he was so brave as to kiss her on the cheek.

He remembered how soft that cheek was.

He fingered the piece of paper in his pocket – the one Rukia wrote her phone number on. His other hand handled the cordless phone. Should he call? Does she even care about him? Was he too bold to kiss her?

He took a deep breath and picked up the phone.

_0423 5…_

He broke off halfway and pressed the red button to clear the number.

What if she gave him a fake number? He knew girls gave a phone number called the Rejection Line. He didn't want to be hurt, seeing how much he liked her. She wouldn't do something like that, would she?

_0423 586 2_…

He pressed the red button again to clear the numbers.

He couldn't. Would it make him seem too eager? From what he has observed when working at the bar, the quiet ones like Rukia never seemed to like forward guys. They always seemed to push them away. Would it make him seem like a pervert? Rukia would understand how he felt, right?

Jeez! Why were girls so complicated? Why couldn't he just dial the damn number? He really didn't want to mess this up with Rukia. She was special.

Yes, she was special.

She made him laugh and smile.

She made him feel happy by just being there.

She made his heart accelerate when she glanced at him and smiled.

She made him want to hug her to him so bad.

She made him feel… whole.

He never realized it before. He felt a bit empty before Rukia came into his life. Now that Rukia came… Was he in love? From what he has heard, she has the exact same effects on him as any other story girl has on a lovesick hero. Was he in love with Kuchiki Rukia, part of the elite Kuchiki family, after meeting her only two times? Was that possible?

If he felt this way, then he should call. Right?

He sighed and slipped the piece of paper back into his pocket. Maybe tomorrow.

**A/N: I know. I know. SO SHORT! And I know people like **_**Hese Solstis **_**is going to HATE me for writing such a short chappie. I can't promise the next one to be like… 20 pages on Word, but it'll be longer than this. **

**THANK-YOU'S:**

**Reviewing: **_BleachOrcaLover13, capslock-nanao, MiRae Naomi Kurosaki and DontFreakMyBoat _

**Favouriting:**_ Jessenia-chan, Masaki4everDead, ., capslock-nanao, xXxMiserableLoveFairyxXx, DontFreakMyBoat and XBlueSkyX._

**Alerting: **_Yubisakireno, KuroKuchiki, xcHiiBiiRuKiiax, Clos, Masaki4everDead, BleachOrcaLover13 and Thornspike._

**Special shout out to **_DontFreakMyBoat_**, who has agreed to beta for me. Love you, my dear! **

**Alright. It feels like the A/N is longer than the actual story so I'll umm… shut up… Yeah. **


	4. Chapter 4: One of Many

**A/N: Look! I'm still alive after writing a short chapter! shot dead by **_DontFreakMyBoat_

**I have a little thing to announce. There are HEAPS of readers out there who just hate short chapters. I want to explain that I don't think this story is really suited for long chapters. I don't know how that works out so just don't ask. Maybe it could be that I'm just a bad writer. sniff**

**Anyways, to those who would like me to write longer chapters or don't like the side pairings I threw in - I'm giving you an opportunity. Just leave a review (and make my day) writing what pairing you want me to write and I'll promise you a LONG one-shot. It's mainly for those readers/reviewers who don't like something I did with this story. 'Kay?**

**Whatever. Here's the fourth chapter. It's a **_**tiny**_** bit longer than the last one. If you're looking for a reply to your reviews – read the chapter and then read the replies I put at the bottom.**

**Disclaimer: I'll give you two facts and one wish. I love food. I love my readers/reviewers. I own Bleach. No prize for guessing which one is the wish.**

_Rukia_

It's been two weeks since they clubbed at _'Exotic'_.

It's also been two weeks since she last heard from Ichigo, even though he promised to call.

Why was he the only one in their group that didn't call? Rangiku seemed to have found a nice guy for once and it seemed like Hisagi-kun and her were close to the dating stage. Momo and Hitsugaya-kun were already dating and so where Orihime and Ishida-kun. So why didn't Ichigo call her?

She wasn't keen on facing him again. So when Rangiku tried to convince her to go clubbing again, she wasn't too keen. She just curled up on the sofa and stared at the TV, refusing to look at Rangiku. When Rangiku brought up Ichi… No. When Rangiku brought up Kurosaki-kun, that just made Rukia want to stay where she was even more.

She glanced at Rangiku briefly and noticed her staring at her in an inquisitive way. It looked like Rangiku was trying to figure out why she wasn't keen on going. Rukia sighed.

"Ran. Please don't." she whispered as she buried her face into her pillow.

"Rukes," Rukia winced at the name. It was what Ichi… Kurosaki-kun called her.

"Rukia," Rangiku commanded. "Look at me."

At the tone of Rangiku's voice, Rukia reluctantly turned her head to face Rangiku.

"It's nothing. Really. It was just a flirtation. That's all. I mean… That happens all the time at clubs, right?" Rukia was determined not to look Rangiku in the eye. It would give too much of her feelings away. "It's really alright, Ran. He's just one of many. He doesn't mean anything to me."

"He didn't call, right? If he doesn't mean anything to you, forget him. If he doesn't call you, move on. If he can't see you for what you truly are, he doesn't deserve you. Don't mope over a guy. Many more will come." Rangiku smiled at her. "Think of it like this. You're just one heartbreak closer to your happily ever after."

Rukia smiled. "You've gone all corny on me, Ran. Is it the influence of Hisagi-kun?"

Rangiku's eyes widened considerably. Rukia just smiled, laughing inwardly at her. "Nani? Me? _Corny? Are you for real?"_

Rukia just kept smiling at her innocently. Rangiku could be such a child sometimes!

"I suppose so." It was Rukia's turn for widening her eyes. Her purple eyes grew rather big. "Hisagi has that effect on me. He's just so… Romantic. He's caring. He doesn't just want me for my body. He wants me. Just me." Rangiku's eyes clouded over with a wispy haze. It was rather… shocking for Rukia.

"I should get going. Hisagi's waiting." Rangiku got off the couch. "You sure you…"

"I'm not going, Ran. Go have fun with the girls. Don't worry about me." Rukia's voice turned sharp at the thought of meeting Kurosaki-kun. That bastard.

Rangiku hesitated.

"Go, Ran." The words were said with such a decisive force that it left Rangiku no room left for argument.

Rangiku crossed the room and pulled Rukia into a hug. "He doesn't deserve you. Hurry up and get over him. I want to go clubbing without a you moping around." With that, she turned with a swish of her cerulean silk-like dress and exited. Rukia heard the front door swing shut shortly after. Rangiku was such a good friend.

She sighed and got up to make a cup of tea. She avoided the jasmine and went for the Earl Grey. She was trying to get over him. No need of reminding herself of the jasmine tea he brewed for her. No need at all.

She exhaled again and took up her tea and went over to the bookshelf and selected a mystery novel. Romance novels weren't going to help her. She plopped down on the couch and started into the book.

It was no use. The words were a blur. She read them but they left no imprint whatsoever on her brain. She groaned and shut her eyes. Why was she feeling like this? It's not as if he would mean anything to her. She only met him twice. It wasn't like she fell in… No. No way. She couldn't. There was no way that she fell in… _it_ after only meeting him twice. There just wasn't enough chemistry between them to… love him. No.

She turned over and focused on the TV, which was still running. She watched the programs, but it was the same as the book. It didn't distract her from the orange-haired, handsome bartender. So she turned it off.

Now with nothing to partially distract her, her thoughts were running wild.

All she could think about was _him_. Everything about him that made her attracted to him.

His handsome face.

His charismatic personality.

His gentlemanly ways.

She remembered how he paid her so much attention.

She remembered how he never even glanced at the other girls that were trying to get a free drink and just stared at her.

She remembered how soft his lips were against his cheek.

No. Stop! She couldn't think like this. She wouldn't be able to take it anymore. She needed to get over him. Why couldn't she get him out of her head? Was she that obsessed?

He probably is like that with every girl. Flirting with one per night. Charm them with his dazzling smiles. Ask for their phone numbers. Maybe take them dancing. Kisses them. Promises to call. Doesn't. What was the point of mooning over him? He probably moved on. He probably was used to it. She was just one of many. How could have she fallen for such a player? She was so stupid! How could she not have seen this one coming?

Damn it! That bastard! He was in all her thoughts. Why couldn't she just get over him.

"DAMN IT, KUROSAKI ICHIGO!" she yelled. It felt slightly better. But it seemed she was drained. With a few tears running down her cheek, she settled in to sleep on the sofa.

However, she couldn't help but glance at the phone one more time before her eyes shut.

**A/N: So… Whaddya think? Tell me by reviewing, pretty please!**

**I should warn you though. Next chapter will be a bit short because I don't know how I should proceed with this story after this chapter. Should I make ICHIRUKI fans suffer a bit more? It hurts me to write about them apart but… meh. breaks down in tears**

**Ja Ne!**

**THANK-YOU'S for this chapter:**

**Reviewing: **_capslock-nanao, Jessenia-chan, BleachOrcaLover13, Rukes and DontFreakMyBoat. _

**Favouriting:** Unfortunately… None for this chapter! :(

**Alerting: **_capslock-nanao, sayap hitam, Jessenia-chan, le car, DaWuffy and Rukes._

**I owe an apology to **_RollingBubbles_** for not mentioning her in the last chapter! I'm very sorry, my dear. Don't know how I missed you.**

**REPLIES:**

capslock-nanao – When you mean that there is no good IchiRuki fics out there, is this one included? :( I'm just glad that you want me to continue it and that you reviewed.

Jessenia-chan – Thanks! I'm happy you're not angry that it's short. I'm literally waiting for some other reviewers to stalk me and throw tomatoes at me.

BleachOrcaLover13 – DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS FOR ME TO WRITE ABOUT HIM NOT CALLING? I was literally tearing my hair out. Okay. Exaggeration. But you get my point. It was hard for me to write. Might I just take this opportunity to remind readers that this is how my aunt met my uncle (by-marriage) so this is how the story goes and I'm not changing it. But thanks anyways!

Rukes – That's a good question. Why _are_ girls complicated? Also being a girl, I'm afraid I can't answer that. Only boys/men think we're complicated and it was quite hard to write Ichigo's perspective. Still. Hope you enjoyed the constant use (well… OK. NOT so constant) of 'Rukes' in this story!

DontFreakMyBoat – AHHHH! NO! I need my darling beta-reader! I'm not going to send any of the chapters of this story to you because I want you to actually read the chapter as the finished product, not as something you have to go through. But I'll send my un-edited oneshots to you soon!


	5. Chapter 5: Changes of Fate

**A/N: It seems like I'm updating daily now. Yay? This is the second last chapter in terms of the actual story, but there will be an epilogue following up. **

**I want to thank my gorgeous readers and reviewers who leave behind such lovely reviews. I woke up this morning and checked my mail on my iTouch, and there were seven emails – several which were reviews and others that were things like favouriting and alerting. I went really hyper at school today because you guys (literally) made my day! **

**Oh, and head to my profile for me today, will ya? I'm writing a fanfiction (featuring Toshiro) but I didn't like the HitsuHina pairing so I'm putting up a poll of what you readers think!**

**Disclaimer: Why do you think I bother typing up 'Disclaimer' if it was mine?**

_Ichigo_

"Here are your drinks." Ichigo said monotonously. The girls giggled and winked at him. They tried to flirt with him but he just turned away. His heart belonged somewhere else. Where was Rukia? She hasn't been to the club in about two weeks. She would've at least come to see why he hasn't called, right? He sighed. Girls. He was going to get hell from Rukia. He couldn't help but not call her. First he was chickening out, and then…

"Oi, dumbass!" an unfamiliar voice called out to him. He turned around to face an unfamiliar girl storm up to him followed by two girls vaguely familiar. Hang on. Wasn't that the girl Toshiro was dating? So isn't that orange-haired girl the one Ishida was dating? So the busty chick must be…

"Rangiku-san! Hinamori-san! Inoue-san!" he said in a surprised voice. Rangiku-san frowned at his use of her first name and last names of her friends. But that wasn't important to her right now.

"You bastard!" she slapped his face.

"Rangiku-san!" he cried, eyes widening and hand clutched to the smarting pain on his cheek. "What the hell?"

"That was for not calling Rukia." She pointed an accusing finger at him, shaking a bit with her anger. "Do you know how painful it is for me to see Rukia sad over you? You played Rukia and then you dump her? What kind of a 'man' are you?" Her voice was painted with scathing sarcasm.

"Rangik…" he began. He fell silent when she gave him a glare that made him want to run away screaming. But he wanted to know more about Rukia so he stood his ground.

"You idiot." A quiet voice sounded. This time it was Hinamori-san. "Do you know how much pain you put Rukia in? You may not feel it. But you expect us, as her friends, to sit back and watch her waiting for you to call? Rukia holds in her emotions and here _you _are, playing with them! Do you do this to every girl you come across? Do you know how sad Rukia is?"

Ichigo stood there, shocked. He had no idea Rukia would feel that way over him not calling. He didn't think about how it would affect her like that. His russet eyes widened as he watched Hinamori-san rant at him.

"Kurosaki-kun…" Inoue-san's normally timid and gentle voice was harsh and unforgiving. "What you did to Rukia is unacceptable. How… Don't… Why didn't you call?" she settled on the last question after trying to phrase it a few times.

Ichigo's mouth opened but his voice didn't seem to want to come out. Every part of his brain was on fire, processing one single thought. _He had hurt Rukia_. All because of his cowardice. All because of his idiocy. He hadn't thought that not calling could affect Rukia so deeply. But now that the girls had come up and confronted him, he thought about it again. He flirted with her. He asked for her number. He made her tea. He promised to take her dancing. He promised to call her. He kissed her on the cheek. He didn't think that his actions could become a double-edged sword, hurting Rukia first and then plunging head-on into his own heart when the realization hit that he, Kurosaki Ichigo, has hurt her. Kuchiki Rukia. The girl he realized he loved.

The three women stared at him, expecting him to speak. When he still failed to produce a single sound, Rangiku-san made a frustrated noise and with eyes burning with hatred, she turned around and started to storm away. The other two turned around also.

"Wait! Wait, Rangiku-san!" he called out desperately, his voice coming alive at the thought of his last chance with Rukia leaving with Rangiku. She turned around slowly.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

"I… I… I lost her number." He confessed sheepishly. "It was in my pocket. I was going to call her the next day but the pants went into the wash and the paper was… Well, it was…. It turned into shreds."

There was no need to tell them that he had spent hours trying to blow dry it and unfold it bit by bit to uncover the numbers. There was no need to tell them that he drove all the way across Karakura and to Seireitei to the head office of Kuchiki Corporations to try and meet Kuchiki Byakuya. There was no need to tell them that he spent ages online, trying to find the right 'Kuchiki' in Japan.

Rangiku-san's face was still serious, even though Hinamori-san and Inoue-san's faces split into large smiles. "Do you care for her?" she asked.

"I care for her. Very much! I can't describe it to you. I can't describe it to myself. But sometimes, I'm just so convinced that I'm… that I'm… uh…" he trailed off, a heavy blush deciding to settle on his cheeks.

"That you what?" Rangiku's face was still stern, even though her eyes weren't livid anymore. Indeed, they were sparkling again with a mischievous light.

"That… I'm not right for her." Ichigo said. He was going to say something else, but he wasn't sure he should say it in front of these girls. Who knows what girls are thinking?

Hinamori-san and Inoue-san gasped in shock. Is that what he thought? However, Rangiku-san didn't buy his quick lie.

"Liar. Tell me what you were going to say." She commanded in a 'hurry-up-and-spill-or-I-will-force-it-out-of-you' tone.

"That… I'm in love with her." He whispered. Rangiku-san seemed to be the only one who heard, because her face looked radiant with delight while the other girls still had a confused look on their faces.

"Really?" she squealed. She seemed very excited. _Too_ excited. Ichigo backed away a bit warily. Rangiku-san seemed to be type to explode when she was excited or drunk. He had seem enough proof of that when he saw Rukia and her friends drag her away from the 69 guy.

"Ne, Momo!" a voice called.

"Shiro-chan!" Hinamori-san squealed.

It happened to be Toshiro and Ishida – one grinning and one waving. At the sight of the other two young man, Hinamori-san and Inoue-san immediately left Rangiku-san to join them and all four walked away giggling and joking, but not without a wave towards Ichigo or kiss towards Rangiku-san (from the girls, obviously).

That was when the 69 guy walked up as well. "Hey, Ran. Who's this?" he asked bluntly after kissing his girlfriend. It was quite obvious he was jealous.

"Green is quite your colour, Hi-sa-gi!" Rangiku-san said in a sing-song voice. Ichigo looked at Hisagi-kun. He wasn't wearing any green. Gee, how crazy can Rangiku-san get? "Meet Kurosaki Ichigo, Rukia's to-be boyfriend." She said to Hisagi. Instantly, he loosened his possessive hold on her. Rangiku giggled again.

"Look, Ichigo-kun. I have to go. But head to the Karakura Park near the playground tomorrow, alright? Get there by six. The sunset there is quite spectacular. Just leave everything else to me. Now be a good boy and be there. Ja ne!" Rangiku-san walked away with a quick wave, hand in hand with Hisagi-kun. Just before they reached the dancefloor, Rangiku-san looked back at him. "Good luck, Berry-chan!" She giggled and disappeared into the mass of crushing and sweaty bodies.

"Berry-chan?" he muttered. Why did everyone call him that? Jeez. He headed to the back room, letting his silly associate, Asano Keigo, man the bar. He better trust Rangiku to not get too drunk tonight and remember to… to do whatever she was going to do.

**A/N: Y'know. I gave so much away with this chapter about the next chapter. Meh. I like it the way it is and I'm not changing it. As always, review!**

**Until tomorrow (Yes. I'm updating tomorrow! I'm proofreading as we speak!)**

**THANK YOU'S for this chapter:**

**Reviewing: **_Falconrukichi, Rukes, Jessenia-chan and capslock-nanao._** These are the people who reviewed already when I was writing this chapter, but I would also like to thank the future readers and reviewers (if there ever will be any *sniff*).**

**Favouriting: **_Rukes, Falconrukichi and Paninbunny_

**Alerting: **__Not yet, I'm afraid.

**REPLIES**

Falconrukichi – I apologize, my dear. It's just… I'm making the story go with my aunt's story except some parts are made up. You'll find out which parts are made up when you read the next chapter.

Rukes – YAY! I'm glad you like it and don't mind short chapters. Ichigo doesn't stop being a 'bastard' because he won't be calling her for about another chapter or two. But he'll make up for it! I swear on my Quincy… I mean. Author's pride!

Jessenia-chan – GASP! SOMEONE SUPPORTS ME! I'M SO HAPPYYYY~! Thank you SO much! I'm happy that you think it's awesome and sad at the same time. TOTALLY the way I intended it. Maybe not the awesome part, but still. I'm hyper that you support me! You're totally awesome!

capslock-nanao – YAY! You like my one! I'm really happy with the way the story is going and the positive reviews and you part of that sunshine! Thank you so much, dearie (JEEZ. I SOUND SO OLD IN REPLYING REVIEWS), for supporting me and reading the story!

DontFreakMyBoat – NAAHH… I like the character thoughts. It's the way the story goes. I want it to be mainly their thoughts without too much speech marks and italics all over the page. Basically, that chappie mainly emphasizes Rukia's feelings so of course there is character thought! This one isn't much longer but… meh. Happy reading! :)


	6. Chapter 6: Overflowing Regrets

**A/N: Here it is! This one is unplanned, so it is quite rough. When I have time, I'll re-upload it with better... something.**

**Meh.**

**I wanted to do the scene mainly in Rukia's POV, but it didn't work out for some of it so this is Ichigo waiting for Rukia at the park. So this one will be quite short.**

**Disclaimer: 'Nuff said.**

_Ichigo_

He had to trust Rangiku-san to set things up and make it right for him and Rukia again. If this goes wrong… Well, there wouldn't be much more point to life.

**OK! See how short? Jokes. Here's the rest :)**

He tried rehearsing what he would say to her last night. He tried rehearsing how he would confess to her last night. Emphasis on tried. It just didn't help when his heart was screaming warnings at him. What if Rukia didn't want to hear about it? What if she saw him and just left without him noticing? What if she… What if she rejected him? Again, like last night, he pushed those thoughts away. If he was scared of rejection, he would just chicken out, hurting her again.

"_You played Rukia and then you dump her? What kind of a 'man' are you?"_ Rangiku-san's harsh voice from last night rung out in his head again. He had played Rukia and then he left her hopes to die. He knew that he hurt her really badly.

"_Do you know how sad Rukia is?"_ This time, it was Hinamori-san's voice. Yes. He had made her really upset, hadn't he? He didn't mean too! But, if she was sad because he didn't call, that meant she had some emotions down there for him, right? So there was still hope, right?

Not really. _"What you did to Rukia is unacceptable." _Inoue-san's voice admonished him. It was unacceptable. So there was only a small chance of being forgiven. Because what he did was unacceptable.

Ichigo groaned. How could he have done this to her? Why couldn't he be more careful and check his pockets? That piece of paper was important to him, yet he let it go into the wash without even remembering that it was there. He let his head sink into his hands, as he squatted on the swing. He just hoped Rukia would forgive him over time.

He heard a crunch behind him as petite feet walked onto the gravel. "Ah. Kurosaki-kun," It was _her_ voice. But the harshness and coldness in her voice cut his heart like a slashing machete.

**A/N: ****Yes, it's VERY short. Let me explain! I had a chamber orchestra performance yesterday, and I got home very late, and this was the result just before going to bed. A super, duper short chapter. Some of you are sharpening your knives as I speak, but you don't know where I live. MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**This was supposed to be uploaded yesterday, but my internet connection was SO capped and it took 20 minutes just to load FF (dot) NET's home page. O.O" I hope that's saying something.**

**I would've changed it, but I liked how it turned out. So I don't mind if it adds another chapter to the story.**

**THANK YOU's for this chapter**

**Reviewing: **_MiRae Naomi Kurosaki, falconrukichi, capslock-nanao, Rukes, OneWhoNeverStopsCrying, Miss Bunnie Chan and DontFreakMyBoat._

**Favouriting: **_OneWhoNeverStopsCrying_

**Alerting: **_dustoflove, falconrukichi and Miss Bunnie Chan_

**REPLIES:**

MiRae Naomi Kurosaki - Hmmm… I really don't think this story is suited for long chapters but… If you would like me to write longer, you could always leave a review saying which pairing you like, and I'll write a super-duper fluffy oneshot featuring that pairing dedicated to you! But I'm glad you like it though! :)

Falconrukichi – I definitely won't be discontinuing it! I won't disappoint! Anyways, there are two more chapters left in this story so keep updated!

Capslock-nanao – You're right. Ichigo doesn't seem to be the alcohol type, right? I'm really sorry to disappoint you! I know I didn't update yesterday, but my internet was SO capped it wasn't funny. Not that it was funny in the first place…

Rukes – I'm happy that you drew those conclusions! I wanted to make her friends super-supportive and Ichigo super-mushy in the "I-love-you" sort of way. Don't ask what super-mushy is like because I don't know either. But anyways, I'm ecstatic that you think I write good chapters! At least there is _some_ purpose to life now… *wink*

OneWhoNeverStopsCrying – LOL! I want to know too! This chapter was totally unplanned, so it's rough, but everyone knows the basic gist already. It's a happily ever after, right? Well… maybeee :)

Miss Bunnie Chan – I'm e-la-ted! Thank heavens you liked it (why is it that I always sound OLD when I'm replying reviews? :S) HAHA. I always thought Rangiku to be the type to be drunk and crazy but able to support her friends. So I'm glad you like this side of her!

DontFreakMyBoat – YAY! My darling loves it! 'Nuff said. :)


	7. Chapter 7: One Love Prevails

**A/N: This is the last chapter, guys! There might be an epilogue. We'll see. But anyways, I just want to thank most of you guys for your lovely support. It really has kept me motivated. If you want to read more from me, I have plenty of ideas, but I'm clueless to which pairings I should do. So e-mail or PM me on pairings you like and I'll see which ones are suitable for which plots. I don't mind cracks!**

**Disclaimer: I take this, as the last chapter, as an opportunity to mention that Kubo Tite owns all rights to Bleach. I own nothing. Well… I do. I just… own all the downloaded songs on my iTunes. I just don't own the rights to make money out of them.**

_Rukia_

Why the park? Why not, like a club? This was so unlike Rangiku. She just randomly calls last night, surprisingly not drunk after entering a club, telling her to go the park to relax. What the hell? _'Maybe the sunset could help you become a bit happier. Y'know, the orange glow?'_ Did Ran take drugs or something?

As she dragged her feet along the concrete, ignoring the fact that she was ruining her flats, she wondered what suddenly brought it on. It was expected that Rangiku would be drunk three minutes after entering a club. No. It wasn't expected, really. It was more of a… public fact. So, what was weird was that she entered the club with Hisagi-kun – Rukia heard the club's DJ whooping as proof – and call her telling her to go to the park with a sober voice. She was being sentimental as well. Sunset? Orange glow? There was something seriously wrong.

Despite worrying about Rangiku's sanity, Rukia decided to go to the park anyways. She couldn't be locked up for the rest of her life mooning over a guy who didn't want her.

Walking onto the red gravel of the park's path and hearing the satisfying crunch under her foot, Rukia took a deep breath. The air was different in the park. It always was. There was just that… freshness that the basic metropolitan area lacked. However, it seemed that another person heard the crunch under her foot too. She saw, from the corners of her eye, another person stand up immediately from the swing. At first, the man seemed to be bald, but Rukia soon realized that his orange hair actually blended in with the orange glow of the sun. Wait. Orange hair? Orange glow? Is that what Rangiku meant? _Orange_ hair?

_Ichigo?_

He turned around to face her. Yeah. That was him. The devilish handsome guy who went and broke her heart. "Ah. Kurosaki-kun." A voice, quite unlike her own – harsh, cold and cutting – spoke.

He breathed out, as if he had been holding in his breath. "Rukia. You came!" he smiled, as if he was unaware of being responsible for the screaming shattered pieces that she was supposed to call her heart.

She turned around, letting her hair hide her eyes. "I should go. It was nice seeing you again, Kurosaki-kun."

"Wait! Rukia!" his voice suddenly turned desperate. Her inner self smiled at the tone in his voice but quickly controlled herself. _He doesn't care for me_, she scolded herself. She took a breath and turned around to face him.

"Yes, Kurosaki-kun?" that same cruel voice spoke again. Where was it coming from? Did she truly hate him to use such a… a… heartless voice against him? A callous voice which she didn't even know she had?

"I'm sorry for taking up some of your time, _Kuchiki-sama_," he replied stiffly, as formal as she. "But I would like to truly apologize for the pain I inflicted upon you." His voice softened at that. "Ruk… Kuchiki-sama, I… Rangiku-san came up to me last night. She told me everything. I know I promised to call. I know that I didn't. But I also know that you were hurt because I didn't call. I want you to know that I wanted to call. I really did! It's just… I… I'm sorry, Kuchiki-sama." Unable to go on, he just looked away.

"Please. Don't lie anymore," she choked out. She was barely able to hold the tears back anymore. But at his surprised face, she let them flow. So he was surprised, was he? "Truly sorry, my foot. I don't know what Rangiku told you last night, Kurosaki. I don't know what game you're trying to play with me now. I don't even know if I mean anything to you," Rukia sputtered. The tears just won't stop. "Just. Please. Don't lie anymore. Tell me I don't mean anything to you. Tell me that you don't care for me anymore. Let me move on!" she cried, letting the floodgates of her heart fully open. Two weeks worth of waiting and tears that she has been trying to keep under check – all of it came gushing out. **"**_**Please!"**_ she screamed. _**"Let me get over you! Disappear! TELL ME…**_" her voice trailed off as she sunk onto the ground.

"Kuchiki-sam…" at the sound of him being so formal, she started to cry harder. They were back to last name basis again. There was no way he could care for her if he just said that so calmly. "Tell… Tell me you don't care. Please." She whispered half-heartedly. Part of her was desperate to move on. Part of her just wanted him to hold her and comfort her.

"I'm sorry. Please. Just stop crying and listen to me. Please, Rukia. Listen. I want you to listen." His gentle voice seemed to have a calming effect on her. Her tears slowly stopped and apart from the occasional shake as another sob rocked through her, she seemed to be calm enough to talk some sense into. He sat down next to her.

"Rukia… I was going to call you. Believe me, I was. I was scared." She made a disbelieving noise. Scared of what? Scared that he might ruin his reputation as a player at the club?

"What were you scared of?" she asked quietly.

"I was… I tried… I felt…I wanted to be with you," he finally stated. "I was scared of being rejected. I was scared of heartbreak. You could say I was scared that I wasn't good enough for you," he shrugged.

She watched him warily. "You had two weeks. Was that really not enough to overcome some fears?" she whispered.

"I… W… I… What I mean to say is… Rukia… Look. I just…"

"What?" her voice cut through his words effortlessly, despite being so quiet.

He remained silent.

"What is it? Tell me." She wanted to know so badly. Her voice was rising, as was her desperation to know.

"_**WHAT?**_" she finally cracked. "What is it that is so bad that you can't talk? Do you have a girlfriend? Did you knock someone up? Do you just simply have no feelings for me? _**TELL ME, ICHIGO!**_" Tears were already building up behind her eyes, threatening to overflow if she had to wait for his answer for another minute… another second, even!

"I lost your number." His voice was even despite it being so low.

She wasn't expecting that. But she wasn't buying it either. That was so simple. It couldn't be true. It just wouldn't do.

"It went into the wash with my pants. I… Don't shake your head, Rukia!" she heard that desperate tone return to his voice. "Please believe me. I can prove it! I even have the wads of the piece of paper! I've been trying to decipher it for ages. Please. Rukia. Don't do this to me. Believe me."

Rukia still shook her head. She just couldn't believe it. Maybe Ku… Maybe Ichigo still cared. She should be cautious, though. She wouldn't want to lift her hopes up to have it crashing down again. There were hopes of constructing her inner world again. There were hopes of removing the constant rain. But if that hope were to be destroyed, than her world would stay in the rain as ruins. There wouldn't be much left of anything. Of her. Of her existence.

She saw his head go down as he waited for her to speak. "Ichigo," she spoke hesitantly. She saw his head instantly go up and saw a spark of hope ignite in his eyes.

"Rukia." He returned. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a hug. When she didn't resist, he continued talking. "You drive me crazy, Rukia. I couldn't stop thinking about you. You make me smile just thinking about you. You make me complete. Sometimes I wonder if it's possible…"

"What's possible?" she murmured into his chest. She was content to stay like this forever – in Ichigo's arms.

He laughed. "Sometimes, I wonder if it's possible to fall in love so quickly."

Hearing that, Rukia felt her entire face about to split. She didn't know whether to be so joyful that he loved her or scared that for some strange reason, her face was about to fall apart. Then an odd noise she hasn't heard for about two weeks filled the air. It was a tinkling yet melodic sound. She was laughing for the first time in two weeks.

"I wonder that sometimes too, Ichigo." She smiled. It was easy to stretch her mouth into that upward curve once again.

Ichigo's hand found her chin and forced her to look up at him. "I love you, Rukia." He said sincerely.

"Love you too, Ichigo." She murmured. Leaning in, she closed her eyes. The last thing she saw was him leaning forward as well and closing his eyes. She felt his strong hands cup her cheek and then she felt his lips. It was awkward, at first. But then he took the lead.

_SNAP. SNAP. _

Odd. Were those the noises that were supposed to happen during first kisses. She opened her eyes to see Ichigo has already opened his and then broke their kiss. He looked around and his face was full of surprise. She turned around to see what he was shocked at.

"_**MATSUMOTO RANGIKU!"**_

Rangiku giggled and ran for it, waving the camera around and yelling joyfully. Rukia was about to give chase when…

"Don't bother, Rukes."

"Ichigo… I…"

"Never mind her. Let her have her fun. She did get us back, didn't she? We owed her one. We're just even now." He smiled at her and she smiled back. She leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Fine. I want to do something else, though." She pondered what they could do. "Ah! You promised you'll take me dancing, right, Berry-chan?" she happily chirped, hopping around from one foot to another.

"And a cup of tea, too." He replied, kissing the top of her forehead and leading her off.

**A/N: Which concludes "It's Just A Cup of Tea". AHHHH! IT'S FINALLY FINISHED! The epilogue, I decided, will be coming in two short days. Just gimme some time to think of something decent up. **

**THANK YOU's for this story: **

_Yubisakireno, Hese Solstis, KuroKuchiki, Rukes, allan caldeini, Masaki4everDead, BleachOrcaLover13, capslock-nanao, xXxMiserableLoveFairyxXx, Rolling Bubbles, MiRae Naomi Kurosaki, DontFreakMyBoat, Jessenia-chan, falconrukichi, OneWhoNeverStopsCrying, Miss Bunnie Chan, xcHiiBii-RuKiiax, Clos, ., XBlueSkyX, sayap hitam, le car, DaWuffy, Paninibunny, dustoflove and Red6 _**for either reviewing, favouriting or alerting. I love you guys! I also want to tell future readers. I still read reviews for old stories so don't stop reviewing!**


	8. Epilogue

**A/N: I'm back, baby! Well, here is the epilogue and I hope you will enjoy it!**

**Now, after the epilogue, I will have completed my first chaptered story! YAY! I'm currently writing a new one, dedicated to **_capslock-nanao_** since she will 'destroy the world in her fury' if I didn't write a GinRan. I want us to all live and her reviews are all so supportive, so this one is for you, honey! Of course, she's not the only supportive one out there; so if you guys ever want me to write you (yes, dedicated to you) with a pairing, don't hesitate to ask!**

**BTW, **_capslock-nanao_**? Don't hate me if you don't like the GinRan story.**

**Disclaimer: Kubo Tite owns all rights to Bleach because… because… *dumbfounded at trying to think of something witty*… because I'm too witty to be Kubo Tite? O.O"**

_Ichigo_

He watched she twirled around, giggling like a little child, in the aisles.

"Stop that. It's not good for you. You're getting me dizzy too!" he laughed.

She only stopped to stick her tongue out at him, as she continued twirling, making her indigo dress – which were the exact shade as her eyes – puffed up. It made her look like an ethereal air goddess. He could literally see the sparkles surrounding her like in those caricatures he used to watch as a kid. The woman would spin in slow motion, her eyes dancing and sparkles surrounding her. Rukia looked like that, except much more elegant and graceful than any old cartoon character.

She laughed again and stopped spinning around. She skipped over to him and hugged him. He laughed with her. Rukia and her stupid mood changes. He lifted her head up and gave her a quick peck on her lips. "You're so childish, you know that?" he whispered.

She just smiled. "I can do whatever I want to. There's nothing wrong with being childish. It makes me feel even younger!"

"_Even_ younger? Darling, I hate to break it to you, but you're not that…" he grinned but was cut off with a kick from Rukia to his shin. "Crap! Rukia, you really shouldn't be moving like that!"

"I do whatever I want," she repeated happily. "And I'm only 28. You're the same age. You shouldn't call us old." She smiled again. He sighed. She was on a high again.

"Are you going to be like that the whole time or are we actually going to shop?" he teased.

"My, my, Ichigo! I thought that women say that?" she giggled. The tinkling sound he grew to love filled the air. "You've grown into an old maid!"

"Shut it. We're never going to do anything if you keep on behaving like that!" He grinned despite himself. Oh, how he loved her.

"I wonder what's with the sudden excitement, dear."

He suddenly shuddered. "Well, after worrying my ass off over the past three weeks without knowing what went wrong with you, you're normal again and happy and you want to know how excited I am?" He remembered those days watching her curled up, in pain. He quivered again. He pulled her against him. "Besides, it isn't everyday that I'm going to be a father." He whispered in her ear.

She cuddled against him in his arms. "Soon, it'll be me, you and baby," she smiled at the sound of it.

"I like it. Me, you and baby." He crushed her a bit tighter to him. "Love you, Rukia."

Rukia rolled her eyes but he could see the love for him and their future kid and excitement of becoming a mother in her eyes. "Love you too, baka."

**A/N: I woke up in the middle of the night, shivering, because my blankets fell off the bed and this came to me. Pregnant Rukia. I hope I didn't give it away at the beginning. I hinted at it, but it's hard to write the symptoms of pregnancy without giving it away.**

**But I gave it away. *sigh***

**Meh. Hope you'll look forward to the next story, which so happens to be the GinRan story. Title still at works but I got the basic plot. So look forward to that and a couple RenTats or IchiRuki oneshots.**

_**Romance Without Words**_**.**

**I would like to thank each and everyone of you who favourited, alerted and reviewed. I hope you guys liked the story and will read the others that I'll write in the future. Don't forget to review, even if it is the last chapter! No matter what, I'll reply to your reviews so don't think that just because it's complete that you don't need to review!**

**Press the button that says 'Review'. 'Kay? Or I'll hire some psycho's to track down where you live and gag you until you agree to Review. Trust me, by then, you'll be begging to review.**


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